Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-07-08

lanterns which are found by thousands
in all the temples and graveyards oil
the country have frame of wood,
covered with paper made to fit the
openings. When the light is within.
a host of these monsters beneath the
shadows of pine grove is very effec-
tive and quite startling when suddenly
come upon arou nd some dark corner.
From the garden of the Kinkakuji.
hill is visible, which the Mikado IDA,
one hot summer day, had covered with
white silk that he might enjoy cool
scene. There was cnce a French
Louis who did about the same thing, but
not to please himself, which certainly
shows good point in the idiotic act
which cannot be credited to the mika-
do in his similar one.
The pleasant ride from Kioto to Otsu
on Lake Biwa has been made for tour
lists thing of the past, for the screach-
ing engine carries them through tunnel
and over tressel, and places them in
Otsu without giving a glimpse of the
pretty country. With merry farewells
and good wishes from my host and
his people, hurried away at lively
pace behind the best runner have yet
had, in q way which bid fair to bring
me to the lake quite as quickly as the
train would which had scorned. The
Tokaido all the way is a magnificent
road, with stone entertainments, cutters,
and cross-drains equal to any I have
ever seen. The traffic which passes
over it is enormous, and the multitudes
of home-returning peasants from the
Kioto holiday made rapid progress soon
come to stop. At the foot of Hi-no-
Okla hill. which rises two hundred feet
in abrupt incline, l had my first human
tandem equipage: the second man harm
essed himself to the front of the kuru-
ma with cords, and ran just before
the man between the shafts. l have
often had two men, but ono has
always been pusher. The summit was
soon reached with the aid OF four legs;
but when reached it wished we had
| not done SO well, for the mans chest
keaved as though it would burst and I
could note each beating of his heart,
while blood came from his lips and nos
| trils. 1t was indeed very horrible
sight, and I shall never again allow
the men to exert themselves to such an
extent. They often deceive me, 1
know, by feigned fatigue, but that is
surely better than that any animal
should suffer-be he four or two or one
legged. From the famous chill of
meeting and parting" which formerly
marked the boundary of the province of
Ozaka, the road descends to Otsu, CIV
ing fine glimpses of the lake between
tall pines, and finally, as the pictur-
esque town Is reached, one sees be-
tween the brown houses the lovely
Biwa.
Two hundred and eighty-six years
before the Christian era there was
II fearful earthquake in Japan, during
which Fuji-yama is said to have risen,
and at the same time the lake of Biwa
disappeared. The original name of the
lake is Omi, but someone with a vivid
Imagination renamed it Bwa, think
ing it resembled in shape the bitUa, the
native banjo. The lake is $50 feet
above the sea and the same number of
feet in depth.
In Japenese literature eight specified
beauties OF Biwa are mentioned, only
one of which l had the opportunity of
seeing, and that was the sail-boats re-
turning from Yabase. 1t was pretty
picture, but number of boats with
white sails spread would be anywhere
quite as beautiful. | rather think,
though, that the poets refer to those
gayly-decorated pleasure boats which
are seen in midsummer so possibly
have not seen even one of the eight.
The other seven are the moon in
autumn from Ishiyama, the snow in
moonlight on Thirayama, the vespel
of Mii-dera, sunset at Seta, clear day
with white caps at Awadzu, the geese
lightning at Katada, and the rain fall.
ing at Karasaki at night, Karasaki il
a point near Otsu, where stands the
famous pine tree said to have been
planted as long ago as the days OF the
first empire, but whether or not it does
not matter-the tree without any his
tory at all is a great wonder. A gnarl-
ed and broken trunk rises to the
height, l should say, of about twenty
feet, and from it branches grow in ev-
cry direction, propped upon poles oil
piles of cut stones, These branches
some OF them fully hundred feet long
bear fine green needle. One branch
l noticed had grown along for ten feet
or so, and had then grown into anoth.
er branch in such a way that it would
be difficult to tell in what direction its
sap had run. 1t is upon this tree a
Karasaki when the rain falls at night
that beautiful music is said to be
produced by the drops falling from
branch to branch and then upon the
ground and the water of the lake, fol
some of the branches extend good
distance over the water Some day
l suppose crowds of tourists will come
in the rain at night to enjoy this beau